Casper knew the longer he waited on telling Ashley she was pregnant the harder and more awkward it was going to be. And they had parents to tell, a wedding to plan, and more humans to transform. All other things be damned, in for a penny, in for a pound.
Thankfully after a bit of walking they were able to find a small part, little more than a couple trees, a patch of grass and a couple benches. One of the benches was occupied by a little old woman feeding pigeons.
With a thought the ring did its thing. Her body become inflated rubber the color sparkling gold. Her body's torso lengthened, making her taller than Casper, her chest became almost flat. She body now looked matured rather than elderly. His hair remained in a tied up bonnet, but that was now the natural shape of that part of her body that mimicked hair. She grew whiskers, her hands and feet became claws, all with thumbs, and a tail that was as thick as her torso, a ridge going down her back, as her face pressed into a muzzle. She was a Chinese dragon. A naked golden rubber Chinese dragon woman. She kept feeding the pigeons.
621 to 622.
Casper subtly led Ashley to the park bench.
"Ashley, there's something I need to tell you?"
"Yes dear? Is that the otter's swim meet is tonight? Don't worry I didn't forget."
"WHAT?! It is?! I forgot! That's--- ugh. That is important, but that isn't what I wanted to tell you! When I transformed the humans in the donut shop this morning... the ring counted one extra Synthetic."
"... So did the ring make someone pop into thin air? Or there's someone else with a ring like yours?"
"Oh! No no! It's... Ashley, you're pregnant."
+++
Haeliax the dragon had packed up some of his magic books that were now useless to him, even if his gift remained, Synthetics he had already figured had different magic than humans. He had gone to the shopping mall to the one place in town that would buy his books at their actual value (hopefully) instead of laugh them off as Dungeons and Dragons material.
Rather than feel awkward or strange about going around town naked, it couldn't felt more natural. Except balloon animals now felt a little creepy to him now.
Haeliax when he came to Spells R Us, saw an emperor penguin male synthetic walk into the store, and then with the same colorings walk out as a pterodactyl Synthetic. It seemed the legendary wizard still catered to all kinds.
Haeliax wondered why he was aware of the changes in reality if he'd given up all his magic. In particular the one that just happened in front of him. Maybe some remained, or maybe he was bound to it? Or maybe it was just a synthetic with the same coloring? Or maybe it was the ring itself preventing a paradox to keep from undoing the existence of the power that had upgraded it allowing it transform him to begin with.
Haeliax, much like Ashley, Lana and Tommy, felt a vested interest in Casper making more of their kind, and though Haeliax's own gratitude was far more direct and solid. Rather than happy for his kind existing, a life long dream was fulfilled.
A 'mundane' wolf laying near the register opened one eye as the rubber dragon came in, snorted and closed it again.
"Hello Raymond." The Wizard said.
"It's Haeliax!"
"Oh, sorry." On the counter was a message that read 'Because He's a Wziard.'
"I'm here to talk about something you sold to someone, and the changes involved."
"People who come into my shop don't always know what they want, and it can be scary for some accepting what they truly want. But I assure you, while mistakes happen, due to my customers' own bungling, nothing I sell is actively malicious, nor the changes my customers go through arbitrary."
"Uh, it wasn't about that."
"Sorry, force of habit, tough guys march in here, thinking they're the law. So what can I sell you?"
"It's what I can sell you. I know you're not a chain store."
"Well not in the traditional sense. I pass through universe to universe, timeline to timeline, I go where the demand is highest, same as any business owner."
"I'm here about the ring you sold Casper."
"Ah. As a sacred law, I can only sell one of those rings per-person, per-universe, per-civilization. So sorry I wouldn't be able to sell you one."
"It's not about that. I've achieved my dream and I won't be able to use my books now. I have my magic books I'd like to sell you, since I can't really use them now. And I have a magic item of my own creation, a cloth that, when placed on a pillow, allows the user perfect lucidity in their dreams. (and Synthetics may meditate, but 'dream' might too strong a term for their mental defragmentation.)"
"My lad, what is this?"
Haeliax explained.
The Wizard's eyes widened in shock. "You FEED your Gift to Casper's ring?! A piece of your soul?!"
"Yes." The Synthetic nodded keeping his face calm. "The years I spent trying to reach magic powerful enough to make myself a dragon... I never made any progress... I once tried even to strike a magical bargain with Tiamat, but I wasn't interested in pillaging and burning. My magical talents just weren't up to the challenge. And. I. Have. No. Regrets! I'm what I've wanted to be. I may not have been exactly how I wanted it, but I'd take what I could get, and I think Casper is going to do a lot more with his gift than I was able to do with mine. And that's why I need to sell my books and objects. Even if I hadn't given up my Gift, the magic I'd have would be incompatible with them anyway."
"I see..." The Wizard said. "It's rare anyone wants to SELL me things, but I would be a poor member of the community to turn down a fellow mage. Since we'll likely run into each other many times ahead. Contrary to popular belief: immortality is only unbearable if you have one to share it with."
"ARE we, Synthetics, immortal?"
"Even I can't say for certain, the rules for this new reality are still being written as Casper continue to overwrite the rules of the old one. I wouldn't test it by being caught at the center of an atomic blast, or go sky diving into a black hole, or try being crushed by the weight of the entire ocean on top of you to see if you implode. ... But none of the ones to set foot inside my shop so far have shown any real signs of mundane wear and tear."
"Oh right, the penguin."
"That you remember he was a penguin is a sign you magic hasn't left you completely, it has simply taken a new form. ... You know, my previous apprentice has finished her training and has left for formal education... I could use a new helper around the shop."
"Would I be able to help at all?" The dragon hid his excitement.
"Well, I suppose an entire new branch of magic will need to be created just for your new species then if human magic is incompatible. Of course, it'll mean basically starting from scratch, I mean cave-man discovering fire from scratch. It'll take centuries, millennia to catch up the branches of magic that exist now... I suppose then ... but as I said, I imagine we have plenty of time to figure it out, interested in the job lad?"
"Better than fixing code all day."
"Oh I already have a coder for my website, don't worry about that."